Culture

A fascinating and revealing view of life inside Iran, with New York Times correspondent Thomas Erdbrink. He shares a rare journey into a private Iran often at odds with its conservative clerics and leaders.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson dines, dances and dishes with the Ethiopian community in the nation’s capital. He enjoys staples like kifto and injera, and celebrates the culture through cooking, dance and a traditional coffee ceremony.

More surprising encounters inside the closed society with NYTimes correspondent Thomas Erdbrink. Whether protests about headscarves, visits to America, or dreams of martyrdom, Erdbrink gets Iranians to reveal the intricacies of their private worlds.

Using historical footage and interviews from artists who were interned, this film tells the story of how traditional Japanese cultural arts were maintained at a time when the War Relocation Authority emphasized the importance of assimilation and Americanization. Included are stories of artists in the fields of music, dance and drama who were interned at Tule Lake, Manzanar, Amache/Granada, Rohwer, Gila River and Topaz.

The Japanese community in Hawai‘i grew and flourished before WWII, but their lives were turned upside down on December 7, 1941, when Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor. This program looks at the story of people who survived these tempestuous times, continuing to love two different nations and cultures.

Joseph returns to Taiwan to follow in the path of Taiwan’s Matsu Pilgrimage, said to be the largest religious procession in the world, and to explore the islands named in the deity’s honor. Blessed with magical powers, Matsu, Taiwan’s superstar deity teaches creating balance in our lives and the lesson is illustrated in the 9-day Matsu Pilgrimage, which melds an exuberant worldly celebration with a mindful spiritual journey. It is literally an explosive event that encompasses the many sides of the Taiwanese nature. Complementing the festival is Joseph’s visit to the Matsu Islands, 100 miles from Taiwan while only 6 from China, revealing the resolute and determined survival instincts of the Taiwanese. Since the first Fujian fishermen came to the Matsu Islands in the 14th century, the archipelago has been a refuge. On his travels, Joseph discovers that for centuries, the islanders have weathered natural and political storms through their connections with each other and the sea. Today after decades of living in the shadow of war, they are ready to celebrate their historic, cultural and natural treasures.